Aeroplane.



No. 598,634. Patented Apr. 29,1902.

S. J. CNYNE.

AEROPLANE.

(Aplication led July 15, 1901.)

' NITED STATES PATENT Ormea.

SILAS J. CONYNE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

A EROPLANE.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 698,634, dated April 29, 1902. Application led July 15. 1901. Serial No. 68,408. (No modell) T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SILAs J. CoNYNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, 'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aeroplanes, of which the following, when taken in connection with the drawings accompanying and forming a part hereof, is a full and complete specification, sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to which it pertains to understand, make, and use the same.

This invention relates particularly to an aeroplane designed to`"be heldcaptive and to be used with aerial advertising apparatus, although such aeroplane may be used for a1nuse ment only, iii-desired; and the object of the invention is to obtain a collapsible4 aeroplane of great durability constructed of few parts and but one thereof (a cross stick or rod) loose or removable from the remainder of the aeroplane and such loose or removable rod or stick attached in place to the remainder of the aeroplane in a manner easily accomplished by persons not familiar with the art.

A further object of the invention is to obtain a collapsible aeroplane not liable to get out of order, the strain upon the several parts being distributed over: the entire surface of the construction, with stay lines and trusses entering into such construction in a manner tending to preserve the shape and form of the aeroplane.

A further object ofthe invention is to obtain an aeroplane having lifting power, the aeroplane itself being light-that is, not of great weightso that a large advertising apparatus may be raised and supported thereby.

A further object of the invention is to obtain an aeroplane having but little wind resistance when the same is raised, so as to render it unnecessary to employa heavy cordor twine to hold it captive when in use to support an advertising apparatus.

A. further object ofthe invention is to obtain a sightly aeroplane and one presenting a vpleasing appearance whenin the air.

`In the drawings accompanying and forminga part of this specification,A and wherein a reference-letter applied to designate a given part is used to indicate such part throughoutf the several figures of the drawings wherever the same appear, Figure 1 is an aeroplane .by the arrows.

viewed in perspective as supported in the air by the atmosphere and held captive by a string or cord, on which string or cord advertising apparatus are attached and by which such advertising apparatus is suspended or supported. Fig. 2 is a front plan View of the aeroplane of the apparatus with the string or cord by which it is held captive attached thereto and drawnlto one side to show the manner of such attachment. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the aeroplane forming part of this appara tus. Fig. 4 is a rear plan view of such aeroplane. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5 5 of Fig. 4:, viewed in the direction indicated Fig. 6 is a front plan view of the aeroplane with the loose stick or rod there-v of partially withdrawn therefrom and such aeroplane partially collapsed; and Fig. 7 is an elevation, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of one of the wings of the aeroplane at the point thereof where one end of the removone of the corners of such aeroplane.

the aeroplane. a

B B are triangular trusses separated from..` each other by open space C and held in proper relative position to each other and to the wings A A by sticks D D' D2.

`E is the cross-stick of the aeroplane, engaging at itsends with the cord F and removable from the aeroplane by detaching it from such cord. Cord F extends from one end of the sticks D D', respectively, over the ends of cross-stick E and to the other end of such sticks D D', passing through slots c e at the end of stick E.

G is the bridle-line of the aeroplane, andI-I is the string or cord by which the aeroplane is held captive and on which are supported advertising-banners, as K and L, of the appatus.

The wings A A at the widest part thereofthat is, where the stick EeXtends across such wings to maintain them extended-should be about one-fourth of the length of the aero plane.

The relative length of the `several parts of the aeroplane, in my opinion,varies the eectiveness of such aeroplane as a lifting apparaprincipally for the purpose of lifting banners able stickor rod of the aeroplane engages with ICO containing advertising matter I consider the lifting capacity of the aeroplane essential, and I will therefore give the comparative lengths which I have found most eectiveV stantially three, and the length of the openv space C between such triangular trusses B B should be substantially four. The width of the aeroplane at stick E should be substantiallyy eight, and the width of the wings A A',

v ward the bottom.

respectively, on stick E should be substantially 2.5, leaving the width ofthe open space C, as three, such open space being rectangular and substantially four in length to three in width.

One end of the bridle Gshould be attached to stick D2 at about one-third of the distance from the upper of the trussB to the lower endlof such truss-that is, at about one-tenth the distance from the upper end of stick D2- and the other end of such bridle should be attached to stick D2 at about seven-tenths of the distance from the upper end thereof to- I have further found in practice that I obtain greater lifting power by constructing such wings so as to obtain an upward bellying of the fabric thereof, as is in-A dicated by reference-letter a ct in Fig. 8, and this upward bellying may be obtained by making the goring or seaming indicated at a in Figs. l, 2, 3, 4, and 6. In practice I lind that Where the wings A A are constructed to obtain the bellying last above referred to the cross-stick E may and properly should be placed on the under side of such wings. To obtain the greatest liftingrpower to the plane b of the truss B, such cross-stick E should be placed back of such plane b, leaving the under and forward surface thereof smooth. The trusses B B are respectively constructed to obtain the three duplicate planes b b b', each of which is substantially square. Plane b extends between sticks D D in substantially the same plane as wings A A' extend.

In large aeroplanes I place the loop or pocket b2 on the upper side of the plane b, through Which-loop the stick E passes to maintain such plane closely to such stick. a2 a2 are apertures through wings A A', through which apertures the stick E is placed to obtain the construction last above recited. I have further found in practice that by constructing the aeroplane B with the forward edges of the several planes b b o slightly longer than the rear edges of such planes a fluttering action will be obtained, which, in my opinionincreases the lifting power of the aeroplane, and I therefore prefer to construct the truss B with the forward edges of the several planes thereof slightly longer than the rear edges-as, say, one one-hundredth longer. A `wavy motion is thus obtained to the several planes of the truss B', particularly to the forward ends thereof, as is indicated in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings by the lines marked b2 b2 and as is also shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. l

I I are trusses extending, respectively, from 'the ends of the stick E to the adjacent one of the parallel sticks D D, and .I .I are trusses extending from the ends of the stick E to l:illustrated in Fig. 7 of the drawings, the

broken linefbeing theboundary of such hem. The hemming of the wings A A' is cut away at the corners (see Fig. 7) to permit stick E to pass therethrough and engage with the cord F, as at f.

Bridle Gr comprises parts g g', and the relative length of such parts is such as to obtain a right angle thereto at the junction of the line II to such bridle.

The banners K L may be attached to the string or cord H by means of a cradle consisting of string or cord M M and N N and stick O, such string or cord extending, respectively, from cord H to the ends of stick O.

The banner K, which is triangular in crosssection, has additional sticks O O at the end thereof adjacent to cord or string H. Sticks O O O are connected together at their ends, and the additional cordP is extended from cord II to the lower angle of the triangle formed by such sticks.

To take the aeroplane of the apparatus down and roll it up for shipment or other purpose, it is simply necessary to disengage one end of the stick E from one of the cords F and withdraw such stick (see Fig. 6) from the remaining parts of such aeroplane and then to roll such remaining parts around the sticks D D D2, as the wings and trusses are made of flexible material, preferably cloth. The stick E mayalso be rolled up with the remaining parts of the aeroplane by placing it parallel with sticks D D' D2.

The manner of operation of the apparatus ICO IIO

embodying this invention is as follows: The

yH may be gradually paid out until the aeroplane is sufficiently high to avoid surface and conflicting windsas, say, a few hundred feet. Either of the banners K L may be attached to cord H in the manner heretofore described,-

and more of such cord then paid out until the banner is at the desired height. When the relative size of the aeroplane and the banners K L permit, in view of the velocity of the wind .which is blowing at the time, banners K L may be attached, successively, to the stringV or cord I-I in the manner illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings. When the aeroplane is iiying, as above described, the severalplanes b b of trusses B Biare forced inward to""near the curve indicatedby broken lines inlig. 3 of the drawings. Air striking planes bf b of trusses B B is directed underneath the wings A A', and such air, together with the air coming directly against the Aunder side 'of "such wings, tends to force the wings upward, and,

because ofthe construction of such wings, as

hereinbefore described, the same are bellied into substantially the `position illustrated in Fig. 3 ofthe drawings, such wings being thereby lifted ed of cross-stick E, and such`-` cross stick does not, therefore, become al material obstruction to the fiying of the aeroplane. The air on the under sideof the bellying wings A A and traveling longitudinally along such wings vmaterially assists in giving great stability and lifting power to the aeroplane. In case of uneven shrinkage of the fabric of the wings A A" the trussesI I maintain stick E, so that the widths of the wings are substantially even,

and the aeroplane therefore liies evenly or onj an even keel, the` planes b b of the trusses B B constituting what Amay be termed the i body part of the aeroplane and stick D2 the keel thereof. Air entering the forwardsuch planes are constructed rectangular in` shape, so as to be drawn `taut in liying the aeroplane inthesametmanner as are the planes of truss B. i

The sticks D, D', D2, and rE may be made of wood `or of i metal tubes, preferably -aluminium, and of any` desired shape in crosssection,although I prefer tohave them square, with `the upper side of stick E rounded.

I prefer to attach the wings A Aand trusses B B to sticks D D D2, respectively, by tacks or rivets. i

Having thus described my invention and the construction of an apparatus embodying the same, what I claim as new, anddesire to i A plurality of parallel sticks, triangular trusses" unitingsuch sticks, such trusses positioned secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination, in an aeroplane, of a plurality of longitudinallyextending parallel? sticks, triangular trusses,consisting of a for ward and a rear truss separated by an open space, uniting such sticks, longitudinally-extending wings onthe sides of the trusses and constituting an extension of one of the planes i of the trusses, a removable stick at right angles to the remaining sticks, such removable stick when in operative position maintaining the wings and the upper plane of the triangulartrusses in operative position, and a bridle attached to the remaining one of the parallel sticks and holding the remaining planes of the trusses in operative position when a cord holdingthe aeroplanecaptivein the air is attached thereto; `substantiallyas described.

2.1The combination, in anaeroplane, of 4a plurality of parallelsticks, triangular trusses uniting such sticks, suchtrusses4 positioned to obtain an open space between them, wings attached to two of the parallel sticks,r1neans to obtain an upward bellying to the win gs, respectively, when such wings are in an operative position, a removable `stick at right an-V ;gles to the parallel sticks and injcontact with the ones thereof in the plane of the wings, such removable stick, when in operative position maintaining the wings andthe `plane `of the truss between s uchwiugsin operative position, a bridle consisting ofa:cord\ attached to the one of the parallel sticks'not adjacent to the wings,land a cord to hold the aeroplane captive attached to the bridle, such spectively, when such wings arein anl operauniting suc'h sticks, such trussespositioned` to obtain an open space between them,wi`ngs `attachedto two of the parallelstieks, means .to obtain an upward bellying to the wings', re-

IOO

-tive position, cords attached,.respectivelyto the ends of-the twoof theparallel sticks to I able stick at right angles to the parallel sticks" `and in contact 'with the onesthereof in tlie which thewings are attached and extending Yaround the outer edges ofthe wings, a remov- IIO such wingsin` operative position, cords' attached to the'ends ofthe removablestick,

to the sticks to which the wings areattached, respectively, and an additional cord'attached i. to the ends of `the removable Lstick andextending to the one of the parallel sticks not `attached to the wings, a bridle attached" to `when the same is'in operativeposition, and

the last-named one f the parallel sticks; and

a cord to hold the aeroplanercap'tive attached to thebridle;'substantially as described:

4. The combination in an aeroplane, of a to obtain an open space betweentliem, wings attached to two of the parallelsticks and a `bridle attached to the remaining one of "such the combination oftrusses andwing's, captive;

substantially as described.`

5. The combination, in an aeroplane of a of the rear truss, whereby a iluttering movement in the several planes of the truss is obtained when the aeroplane is in the air, a bridle attached to the one of the parallel sticks which is not adjacent to the wings, and a cord to hold the aeroplane captive attachedto such bridle; substantially as described.

Signed this llth day of July at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois.

SILAS J. CONYNE. In presence of- CHARLES TURNER BROWN, CORA A. ADAMS. 

